Skiing Trip

Hi everyone :)

I kind off forgott to tell you that I am going on a skiing trip and therefore will not be blogging until Sunday night. Sorry but we sadly don't have internet here. Unfortunately we don't have snow either :D At least not a lot.

I shall see all of you lovely people Sunday evening. Thank you for being understanding.

x
J.

Lets be a bit more like Children

Hi everyone :)

Don't you sometimes wish you could be little again? Everything seemed so much easier back then. And it is in those moments that I realize that I don't actually want to be a child again but that is miss the carefreeness that kids have.

Kayden + Rain from Nicole Byon

This is what we are lacking. We loose this ability the older we get and it is kind of sad. We forget what it feels like to experience things for the first time we forget what it means to experience life.

Yes we live it, we have gotten a hang of that but living in the moment becomes exceptionally hard the older we get.

I can clearly remember the summer days when it would rain and my mum would send us outside to jump around in the rain. And we think we grow out of that as we become older and mature but we shouldn't.

We should keep that within us! This carefreeness, the ability to see beauty in things like summer rain and the power to just let go sometimes, to laugh like nobody is listening and to dance like nobody is watching.

It's a shame that we don't do it as much as we used to when we were little.

Also do you remember how easy it was to make friends in kindergarten, why does it suddenly become so difficult once you turn a certain age?

In my opinion we think to much about things. When we all were children we didn't have to wonder wether that other child we are talking to really likes us or what impression they have of us, it didn't matter. But somehow as we become older it does, we get so stuck in our head with all theses things we think we have to consider when we meet new people that we forget about the actual meeting them part.

It's not hard to meet new people but we make it hard on ourselves to find new friends.

So why not let go sometimes and enjoy some childish things?

It's nothing to make fun of or laugh about, I think that being able to just shut the world out for the sake of enjoying the purity of a moment without having to conceal your feelings is a gift!

It is something to cherish and hold onto.

And maybe we will end up jumping around in the rain again, once summer comes around. Probably not with as much disbelief as Kayden and not with as much joy because we have actually seen rain before but maybe just relishing the moment.

I honestly do wish that for myself. I don't want to be so stuck in my head and I truly hope that I am not.

But here and now I am setting myself the goal to at least once go outside when it rains and enjoy it!

x

J.

Musical Monday

Hi everyone :)

I have been in an Ed Sheeran kind of mood all week, don't know why but I have been listening to the same songs over and over again. I am fairly certain I know his whole album + by heart. So I am now going to make you all listen to it too.

Obviously there is a reason for me getting all of you back into listening to Ed Sheeran: There is a new album this year and lets be honest we all needed some more Ed Sheeran songs in our lives!

So have another one :

And his newest one:

Lets all get excited for this new album now!!! 

:)

x

J.

Creative Sunday - Alexey Kljatov

Hi everyone :)

I know winter is over, well actually it has never quite started to begin with, so I thought I would bring it to you before the cold time of year is completely over.

I don't know how long ago I found these pictures but I have kind of forgotten about them at some point and only now rediscovered them.

Alexey Kljatov is a Russian amateur photographer who took absolutely stunning picture of snowflakes.

I mean everyone knows that each and every single snowflake is unique but to actually see it up close is breathtaking.

These pictures are absolutely stunning and considering how he took them it gets even more incredible. Alexey Kljatov built the add-on he needed for his camera himself and this is the outcome of it:

source

I mean we have all been drawing snowflakes as kids but I never knew what the actually looked like. They are so beautiful and nature creates that all on its own!

source

source

source

For more of these and the exact technique he used go check out his website: Alexey Kljatov

If you just want to see more pictures check out his flickr or head over to his tumblr.

You can even find him on twitter: chaoticmind.

x

J.

Quick to Judge

Hi everyone :)

People are strange, including me. But one thing about all these strange people that I absolutely hate is how judgemental we get sometimes.

We judge people based on their looks, on the first impression we get of them and suddenly we have made up our mind and don't like them.

Or we think they are completely different than they actually are.

I mean some people who are overweight have a medical condition and they can't actually be blamed for being over weight. Other people who have a wonky nose might have had a straight one once but it got broken in an accident and now it's wonky.

Or this person who you have only met once and thought was incredibly rude may have just been extremely nervous and didn't have the courage to talk to loads of people, including you.

But still we judge these people without knowing the full story. Like this woman:

Her name is Lilly Velasquez and she was named the worlds ugliest woman by some people. No one bothered to learn her story they just put that very hurtful label on her.

How is that okay or fair?

Because this is her story:

And who are we to judge really? This woman is beautiful! Maybe not the kind of beautiful that fits our twisted ideal of beauty but boy does she have character!!

I am not going to say I wouldn't have judged her, but I am sure as hell thinking twice about it next time. These people, who we are so quick to put labels on, might have stories and lives far more interesting than ours.

So next time you think about judging a book by it's cover: Don't! Take your time to look again, you might make a friend for life!

x

J.

My Home "Town"

 Hi everyone :)

All of you that follow my Twitter and Instagram will already know that I am at my parents for the weekend.

So I thought since I already showed you the town I live in now (Augsburg) why not do the same thing with the village I grew up in?

It was a gorgeous day today and really warm as well, so I took my camera on a little adventure.

I can already tell that there will be loads of pictures in this post, I hope you enjoy them :)

I grew up in quite a small village, with about 1800 people living here. It's quite homey and everyone knows everyone. You literally can't keep anything secret cause the Granny- Talk gets it all. They are faster than E-Mails I swear :D

My Nan probably being the worst of them all or maybe that is what everybody thinks about their Nan, they just love to gossip. It's really weird :)

these don't look human

I live in the kind of village where we still have sheep and you actually find hoof prints in the mud.

We have always been out and about when I was younger and my Nan would take us on much hated walks every Sunday. I say much hated because back then they were, now I really do appreciate what my Nan and my Grandpa tried to do.

For me there is nothing better than to actually spend some time outside on a day like this and I am pretty sure that I have to thank my Nan and Granddad for that.

So today, in honor of their persuasiveness, I walked through the forest on the same path I used with them.

I have not been anywhere near these woods in over a year and it was amazing to be back. I had almost forgotten what it smelled like out there. That musky, earthy smell in a forest and the way the water of a stream murmurs it's way through the fields is something truly relaxing.

When I was about 8 or 9 my Nan took our Easter celebrations to the forest and hid all of our presents in undergrowth or hung it up in trees. It was the best Easter egg hunt you could wish for as a child. However there still is a watch somewhere out there that has never been found!

This is the Black Forest at it's finest. 

I even found a perch. Although I am not sure about the second one :D

don't think that's very save :P

Doesn't the left picture look a bit like a shark? Or maybe I have just had to much fresh air and am hallucinating :D

I enjoyed myself so much today, although you could clearly tell I haven't done this in a while as I though wearing new boots would be a great idea. Don't do it people !!!! :D

So if there is a forest or open fields anywhere near where you live why not go on a little exploring adventure next time the sun shows it's face?

Also while you are at it why don't you just try the whole closing your eyes and listening to the music of nature thing as well? I took the time today and I can tell you that you'll be surprised by how good you actually hear. It starts of with the obvious things like water sounds and birds and stuff but it get so much more intense once you have been doing it for more then 5 minutes. 

If you have no idea why I am on about you can read it here.

x

J.

A different kind of Music

Hi everyone :)

I am absolutely in love with music. Music is something truly beautiful and comes in all kind of forms and shapes. It is always fun to look around for new artists or amazingly creative people that are trying to redefine the way we experience music.

Like this guy:

Johnnyrandom | Bespoken from Johnnyrandom on Vimeo.

When I first saw this I was intrigued to say the least. I know this video doesn't show the whole song but I can tell you the complete one is even better. I have listened to it... I don't know how many times it's that good. Yes it is only acoustic for those who were wondering :)

You can get 'Bespoken' on Itunes and I am telling you it is worth it's money, promise!

I thought it was incredible how you can make a whole song only from little noises a bike makes, things that we here every day but don't pay attention to. 

Because even if we are out in the forest and enjoy how quite it is, it actually isn't. Have you ever just stood in the middle of an open field and closed your eyes? Give it half a minute and you will here how loud it really is. 

Nature has it's own music and so have things we don't pay attention to in our daily lives.

Have you seen the movie August Rush? It's about the same thing and if you have a heart for music you should definitely watch it. I will link you the trailer at the end, it's a beautiful movie and really powerful.

These sounds that we miss are a bit like the background music in movies. We don't really realize it is there until someone takes it away. I have watched so many great movies and then bought the soundtrack because of a song I really liked form it. After listening to the whole CD and watching the movie again I got to see a whole new side of it. 

It's the small things in life that are worth paying attention to!

And if you have never done that field thing you should try it sometime, or even go to the forest and do it there. It's unbelievable how many things we miss!

x

J.

August Rush: Trailer

Johnny Random: Twitter

Discovering New Things

Hi everyone :)

So turns out the history of Valentines day is quite an interesting one and I would like to spend a bit more time on it. If you are not interested in hearing about it let me know otherwise I will blog about it sometime next week :)

For today it is all about trying new things.

Now I am not the biggest sports person and as I say this I don't mean doing exercises or playing a nice game of volleyball with friends, no what I mean is watching them.

I am just not that interested in watching people chase a ball around a field, I don't get it's appeal. Doesn't mean I have a problem with watching it now and again.

There are a view sports that I enjoy watching though, such as rugby, American football and as of lately ice hockey.

When this whole thing started out I had no clue what the rules of the sport were. Literally the only thing I knew was, that there were people on the ice trying to score goals and the small black thing that they chase around is called puck. I didn't even know how many players were involved or how the game worked.

While now I find myself enjoy watching a sport I never thought about before and am understanding the rules. Or I am getting there :D

I never thought watching an ice hockey game could be as much fun as it is. The atmosphere in the stadium is amazing. I have never been to any other sports stadiums before so I have nothing to compare it to but it's brilliant. In all the games I have been to everything seemed so much more alive and active.

halftime :)

Obviously it also has a lot to do with who you share an experience like this with and I do have some great people who like going to games as much as I do.

And he might kill me for saying this, but the first game was probably only fun because my boyfriend is the most hilarious person to watch when he is really into something. He gets so involved in a game emotionally, that he literally flips when our team doesn't win. You can not talk to him about it even weeks after. The first game I went to, we lost 4:1 and he is still kind off upset about it :D My friend and I who had no clue what was going on probably just enjoyed it because T. was getting so angry at the world for our team (AEV) loosing. It was brilliant and very entertaining.

C. and I at our first ice hockey game

As I mentioned before I had no clue what was going on down there on the ice. I felt like the slowest person ever because most of the time I couldn't even follow the puck. It got to a point where C. and I thought we would just have to watch out for the biggest crowd of people and that's where the puck is but we couldn't have been more wrong. Most of the time the puck is long gone and the players are still huddled and fighting.  

And yes ice hockey absolutely is a violent sport but I enjoy it nonetheless.

It is a totally new thing I went along with just because people I liked were going and it turned out to be something I thoroughly enjoy now. 

If you read my blog more regularly, you might know that this is my boyfriend (T.) and you will also have already seen this picture. What you don't know however is, that it was taken at an ice hockey game :) And yes it also was the sport that got us to spend more time together, so there is another upside to discovering this new sport :D

What I am trying to say is: Try new things even if they look like something that you might absolutely dislike. Go along with friends to things they enjoy and if you figure out that you don't like it then just don't go again. However it might turn out to be your new passion. 

We sometimes get so stuck with only doing things that we are comfortable with that we miss out on all the other amazing things out there.

Next time a friend asks you to come along to one of his basketball games just say yes and go. Not only will you make your friend happy but I promise that even if you turn out not to like basketball, seeing one of your friends play will most certainly be fun.

x

J.

How is that Okay?

Hi everyone :)

I am pretty sure by now all of you who are interested in sports have heard of Michael Sam. You haven't? Well he is the NFL player who came out as gay a couple of days ago.

I think that is a pretty brave thing to do considering he is the first or could be the first. And that is were this blog post comes in.

Because he could be the first openly gay player in the NFL big emphasis on could. Because there now is quite a big chance that he won't get drafted.

Although the NFL apparently welcomed his announcement. A couple of players have tweeted and said really supportive things in interviews and I think that is important!

And I mean in what modern world society is it okay not to draft a good player because of his sexuality? Because I am pretty sure he is not the first man to play in the NFL who is gay he might just be the first one who does it openly.

I agree 100% with this guy:

I mean there literally are players that have been to jail for things like homicide, sexual assault, bribery and that list could go on. And there are a lot more former players who are now in jail. 

So these guys can play but we'll make it hard for someone who is gay? How is that even a thing? 

What is the worst that's gonna happen? He's gonna ogle his teammates while showering? Don't even try and tell me straight guys don't do that as well!

I just think it shouldn't make a difference because what he does off field has nothing to do with his qualities as a player now does it?

Just let him o his thing and treat him like you would treat any other player, I would even go as far as to say that he shouldn't feel the need to say it beforehand. Why do we still make such a big deal out of this when it is now possible for gay people to get married. Why do we make them stand in the spotlight and tell everyone about their sexuality.

I have never seen a straight person hold an interview about their sexuality before they got into some fancy sports team. 

It's a concept I don't really get but aside from gay people having to announce it, it shouldn't make a difference afterwards.

x

J.

Musical Monday

Hi everyone :)

We are back! I am officially on my semester break which means the normal schedule for this blog is back. I am excited for that and I hope all of you are too :)

So lets start this 'new era' of blogging of with this great song I discovered a week ago and it's life which is even better :)

This next song was suggested by my boyfriend but I have to absolutely agree with him :)

And the last one for this week :)

Enjoy!

x

J.

Musical Monday

Hi everyone :)

I have this list of songs that I have had since I was probably around 14. It has basically stayed the same I have just been adding more and more songs to it but never actually taken any out. This list of songs has been on every music player or phone I have had since that time and I have lately taken it upon me to listen to the whole thing.

There are songs on there I didn't even know existed or remember every listening too. And there are some on there where I seriously had to ask my self what kind of phase I was in when I put them on there.

Like this song:

I didn't even know who it was from when it came on last night while I was getting ready after stepping out of the shower. And I have no clue what kind of ghetto phase I was in when I chose this song for my list, because I am not usually on for this kind of music.

But let me tell you this: It is a great song to dance around your room in underwear and just go with it and not worry about the fact that you probably look ridiculous :D

On a more serious note: I have a couple of songs that I absolutely love at the moment aside from the one above :P

Kodaline - One Day

Also love this song:

Family of the Year - Diversity

Enjoy your week everyone :)

I will spend it studying. My exams are all on Saturday so after that I will be back here for good, so Saturday evening is something to look forward too :)

x

J.